Excavating device



Nov. 1924; Q 1,515,506.

w. s. McNALL I EXCAVATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 19, 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 1INVHITOR A'TI'ORNEY I WITNESSKS W. S. M NALL EXCAVATING DEVICE Nov-.

Eiled Aug. 19, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVWTOR WITNESS E5 ATTORNEY v1,515,506 -w. s'. M N ALL EXCAVATING memos Filed Aug. 19, 1922 ssheets-sham. 5

WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATESPATENT 0 WILLIAM S. MCNALL, 0F SALINA, KANSAS.

FFICE.

EXCAVATING DEVICE.

Application filed August 19, 1922. Serial No. 582,951.

and the like into a movably mounted hopper and subsequently dischargingthe same into a wagon or the like trailing beside the machine. I

An important object is the provision of a device of this character whichis provided with means for manually controlling the position of thereceiving hopper from which the dirt or other matter is subsequentlydischarged into the conveyance or transporting vehicle. r

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich is operated as for instance by means of compressed air.

A further object is'the provision of an apparatus of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, eflicient anddurable in use, positive in operation and a general improvement in theart.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be herein- 1 after more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device,

Figure 2 is a plan view,

Figure3 is a cross section, Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevationFigure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of what is shown in Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designatesasuitable truck upon which the device may be mounted and this truck maybe motor driven or otherwise provided with propelling means which may beused for driving the moving parts of my device. a a

Mounted upon the truck A is a container or casing which is open at itstop and within the bottom part of which is journaled a fan 11 having itsshaft 12 extending through the bottom of the casing and carrying apulley 13 driven by means of a belt 14: which derives i Power om s me cvenient portion of the truck mechanism. The numeral 15 designates braceswhich support the casing 16 of the fan structure and it will be observedthat this fan constitutes, in effect, a blower. Leading from the inlet17 of the fan casing is a flexible tube 18 at the entrance of whichismounted a digger mechanism 19 and it is preferable I that this tube 18be wire wrapped so as to insure durability while not interfering withflexibility. The lower portion of the tube is equipped with a handle 20by'means of which it may be moved into the desired position.

The digger mechanism 19 is operated by compressed air which is suppliedthereto through a flexible pipe 21 extending along and carried by thetube 18, compressedv air being supplied to this pipe by any suitablepump 22 mounted on the tractor and driven by the motor thereof.

Vertically slidably mounted within the casing 10 is a hopper 23 which isopen at its top and which is suitably guidably mounted in the casing soas to have unobstructed ver tical movement. Leading fro-m the outlet 2 1of the fan casing 16 is a pipe 25 which discharges into the movablehopper.

A very important feature is: the provision of means for raising andlowering this hopper and this means consists of a longitudinallyextending shaft 26 carrying a crank handle 27 and having gearconnections 28 with a pair of transverse shafts 29 which carry sprockets30 over which are trained chains 31 which are trained over othersprockets 33 mounted at the top of the frame. On the shafts 29 are drums35 to which are secured and about which are wrapped flexible members 36connected with the hopper.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that the truck is drivento the place where its use is desired and the pump mechanism forsupplying the compressed air is thrown into operation. The compressedair passing through the pipe 25 operates to i drive the digger mechanism19 and the dirt or other material dug up thereby ,will be sucked upthrough the tube 18 to the fan casing 16 and discharged therefromthrough the pipe 25 into the hopper 23, the posltion of the hopper beingregulated by actuation of the crank handle 27 which controls the driveshaft 26 of the hoisting mechanism.

'The bottom of the lloppgl, is provided with vantage in this feature andthat is: that when the device is traveling along without being inoperation the hopper may be lowered so as to be disposed as close to thefan casing as possible thereby lowering the center of gravity so as thedevice will not be top heavy. To control the position of the chute, Iprovide brackets 37 on the top and the bottom of the frame, whichbrackets support sprockets 38 about which is trained a chain 39connected at 40 with the chute. The lower sprocket shaft carries a crankhandle 41 so that it may be turned for moving the chain 39 and varyingthe position of the chute.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequentlyinexpensive excavator mechanism which may be readily mounted upon atruck and driven by the motor thereof whereby to dig material of anykind and discharge it into a suitable conveyance. Owing to thesimplicity of the construction and the fewness of the parts it isapparent that'there is nothing to get out of order and that the deviceshould have a long life and satisfactorily perform all the functions forwhich it is intended.

While 'I' have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the in vention or the scope of thesubjo'ined claims. Having thus described my invention I im;

1. An excavator mechanism comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upona truck, a blower fan mechanism mounted within the casing, means drivenfrom the truck for driving the fan mechanism, a flexible tubeconnectedwith the inlet of the fan mechanism, a digging device carriedby the tube at the entrance thereof, means operated by the truck motorfor driving said digging mechan sm, a hopper mounted within said casingljnto which the fan mechanism discharges and provided with an outletchute, and gear operated Windlass mechanism for raising and lowering thehopper.

2. An excavator mechanism comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upona truck, a blower fan mechanism mounted within the casing, means drivenfrom the truck for driving the fan mechanism, a flexible tube connectedwith the inlet of the fan mechanism, a digging device carried by thetube at the entrance thereof, means operated by the truck motor fordriving said digging mechanism, and a hopper mounted within said casinginto which the fan mechanism discharges and provided with an outletchute, means for raising and lowering the hopper with respect to thecasing, and means for raising and lowering the chute.

3. An excavator mechanism comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upona truck, a blower fan mechanism mounted within the casing, means drivenfrom the truck for driving the fan mechanism, a flexible tube connectedwith the inlet of the fan mechanism, a digging device carried by thetube at the entrance thereof, means operated by the truck motor fordriving said digging mechanism, and a hopper mounted within said easinginto which the fan mechanism discharges and provided with an v outletchute, and means for raising and lowering the hopper with respect to thecasing, consisting of a control shaft provided with a crank handle, apair of transverse shafts geared to said control shaft and carryingsprockets, other sprockets mounted at the upper edges of the casing,chains trained about the corresponding sprockets, drums on saidtransverse shafts, and flexible members secured to and wrapped about therespective drums and connected with the hopper. I

4. An excavator mechanism comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upona truck, a blower within the casing, means driven by the motor of thetruck for operating the blower, a flexible tube leading into the inletof the blower and carrying a digging mechanism at its entrance end,compressed air operated means driven by the motor of the truck foractuating the digging mechanism and a vertically adjustable hoppermounted within the casing and into which the blower discharges, adischarge chute leading from the bottom of the hopper and pivotallymounted at its lower end, upper and lower sprockets on the casing, achain trained about said sprockets and connected with the chute, andmeans for turning one sprocket to move the chain.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

I 7 WILLIAM S. MoNALL.

